Aliaca VTOL Tactical Drone

Full Specifications

Airbus Aliaca VTOL Tactical Drone

The Airbus Aliaca VTOL Tactical Drone is a small uncrewed aircraft system built for modern surveillance and reconnaissance work. It gives military units a way to launch from ships or small bases without a runway, collect real-time imagery, and support decision making in land or coastal operations.

This system comes from Airbus, a large European aerospace and defense company with a long history in military aircraft and unmanned systems. The drone is part of Airbus’s tactical UAS lineup and builds on the proven Aliaca family that has been used by the French Navy since 2022.

Aliaca VTOL’s main purpose is intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). It can help forces watch borders, monitor coastlines, track vessels, or support search and rescue missions. With VTOL capability, operators can deploy it quickly in confined spaces or from vessels without catapults or nets.

Manufacturer

Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus) of France, with design roots in the Survey Copter team that led the Aliaca series.

Speed

While precise top speed is not publicly listed, Aliaca VTOL emphasizes endurance and stable flight for sensor work rather than high dash speeds.

Range

Typical operational range for the VTOL version is around 50 kilometers for surveillance missions.

Cost / Price

Airbus does not publish unit prices. Costs vary with configuration, sensors, and support options. Defense buyers normally negotiate under contract.

The drone’s modular design supports common ISR payloads like gyro-stabilized electro-optical and infrared cameras and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for vessel tracking. Safety features include autonomous flight termination and advanced geocaging controls.